Have gun, will travel

I am a Utah concealed firearms permit instructor, a member of the National Rifle Association and a huge supporter of gun rights. But I am opposed to the current proposal to become a “constitutional carry” state, which means allowing Utahns to carry concealed weapons in Utah without having a permit.

There are no more restrictions placed on a person to obtain a concealed firearm permit than already exist to purchase a gun from a licensed dealer. The benefit of obtaining a permit is learning the law about when and where a person may carry and when it is justified to use force.

This protects the rights of our citizens by not placing them in a situation where they may act out of ignorance and lose their gun rights or their freedom. Government is to protect its citizens and their rights, and the current permit process does that.

By removing the requirement for a permit, we limit the ability of Utahns to carry outside of Utah. I need a permit to travel with a concealed gun, and Utah’s permit is recognized by 33 states.

Protect our citizens from inadvertently breaking the law, and allow us the freedom to travel with our guns.

Jared A. Olschewski

Brigham City

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Below is the letter that I sent on March 1, 2011 to Rep. Wimmer who sponsored HB 129 to remove to the requirement to obtain a permit in order to carry a concealed firearm. I also forwarded this email to several other members of both the Utah House and Senate.

Dear Rep. Wimmer,

I am a member of the NRA, an NRA Certified Instructor in four (soon to be five) disciplines, have a lifetime membership to Front Sight Training Institute, and a Certified Concealed Firearms Instructor for the State of Utah. I think it is obvious that I am a supporter of gun rights, and yet I oppose your bill that would make Utah a constitutional carry state. Let me explain why.

The current process does not limit anyone from carrying a gun by imposing any additional restrictions than a person would go through to purchase a gun from a federally licensed dealer, except submitting fingerprints. If a person can legally purchase a gun they can get a permit. The class to get the permit is a means of protecting our law abiding citizens. I view the role of government as an institution meant to protect our citizens and their rights. Without the training received in the class, many citizens might inadvertently do something that could lose them their gun rights or their freedom. Learning the laws about where a person may carry and when force is justified is not an infringement of a persons rights, it is an act of responsibility on the part of government. A person could carry a gun into a Post Office and have committed a crime without knowing it. A person might use deadly force to take down a mugger that was fleeing after assaulting the shooter and think that they are within their rights and end up in jail. Someone might wait for an attacker to be inside their home before they shoot in self-defense and become a victim of their attacker rather than act as the person is attempting to break-in because they don’t know that they are justified in preventing the break-in.

I see a similarity to a drivers license. I can buy a car and drive it on my property without a license. But when I leave my property I need to have a license which states I know the laws of proper use of that vehicle and am not endangering others through ignorance.

I know that an armed citizenry is good for crime. But my concern is that crimes might be committed by good people who don’t know any better and cannot claim ignorance as a defense.

Another concern is that the permit is still needed to travel out of state, and how many of the 33 states that currently accept the Utah CFP will continue to accept it if we weaken the permit by not requiring it.

I am not alone in my opinion. Please protect our citizens by encouraging them to carry with knowledge and responsibly. I welcome your thoughts about this issue.

In a recent poll conducted by The Leader, the question was asked, “In light of the Arizona shootings, how safe do you feel?” In response, 27 percent said they felt safe because they were ‘packing heat.’

Carrying a concealed weapon is becoming more and more common in today’s world. But getting a permit to legally do so requires a little effort. All applications for such a permit must go through the Utah Department of Public Safety and each applicant is required to take a four-hour gun safety class taught by a certified firearms instructor. There are currently 14 in Box Elder County. Jared Olschewski of Brigham City is one of those instructors.

Olschewski said he teaches a class of five or more applicants at least once a month. Those signing up are not the typical hunters or ‘he-men’ looking to generate macho images. He said his students come in every shape, size and background, from construction workers to those in the financial world. He has taught businessmen, teachers and entire families. He added that he is surprised at how many women are asking to take the course, as well. In fact, a businessman recently approached him about teaching the class to all his employees and their spouses, due to the nature of his business and the type of clientele with which he deals.

Olshewski said the upsurge in requests for concealed weapon permits has increased since the 2008 election, not just in Utah, but across the country. In 2009, permit applications doubled from the previous year. “I think people are afraid they will lose their gun rights,” he said. Olschewski admits he got his own permit “to say I support the second amendment (the right to bear arms).”

While Olschewski teaches gun safety, he said the class is not about marksmanship or improving shooting skills, but rather the when and where of Utah State law concerning firearms. He said getting a permit does not give an individual total freedom to carry a weapon everywhere. The law does not allow guns (even concealed) into federal buildings, courts, mental hospitals or into any church or temple of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Just as the LDS church did, Olschewski said any private business or individual could go through a process that would prohibit concealed weapons in their establishment.

Olschewski said being granted a concealed weapons permit does not justify misuse of a weapon and Utah is very strict on who qualifies for the privilege.

A thorough background check on each applicant is conducted, fingerprints are taken and photo identification, including passport or driver’s license photos are scrutinized. Once the application is into the state, the process takes about two months. Then the permit must be renewed every five years.

Utah’s instruction process is one of the most comprehensive in the country, according to Olschewski and is accepted in 34 other U.S. states.

Once a person is approved, there is no restriction on what kind of firearm a person may carry. “As long as it can be legally owned, it can be carried,” he said.

Most law enforcement personnel he has talked with are supportive of individuals getting a permit. “The officers have said that law-abiding citizens should have the right to defend themselves,” Olschewski said.

The incident in Arizona prove how scary the world has become, he continued. “There were 19 people shot and not one person was carrying a concealed weapon.”

He is adamant that anyone “packing” should always react appropriately in any situation and use a weapon only as a last option. That, he said, is part of the training process.

“My thinking is I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it,” he said.